Your browser doesn't support javascript.
Acceptance of Psycho-Oncological Counseling Formats in a Cancer Counseling Center during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Care Study.
Lohmiller, Jacqueline; Schäffeler, Norbert; Sütterlin, Heike; Zipfel, Stephan; Stengel, Andreas.
  • Lohmiller J; Section Psychooncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen Stuttgart, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
  • Schäffeler N; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
  • Sütterlin H; Section Psychooncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen Stuttgart, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
  • Zipfel S; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
  • Stengel A; Section Psychooncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen Stuttgart, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Curr Oncol ; 28(5): 3795-3803, 2021 09 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1444125
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to change established structures of medical counseling services and quickly establish digital counseling formats to ensure continuity of care. In this context, we offered telephone and video-telephonic counseling in addition to traditional face-to-face counseling in the office.

METHODS:

Patients (n = 100) of the Cancer Counseling Center, Tübingen, were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess the acceptance of the counseling format following each counseling session (office, telephone, and video) in the period between July 2020 and February 2021. The questionnaire included the subject areas of patient characterization, assessment of therapeutic contact, therapeutic relationship, and hurdles and was used in this exploratory care study.

RESULTS:

The satisfaction and acceptance of the three counseling formats (office, telephone, and video) were rated as "good" to "very good" in the three subgroups (range 1-6, office M = 1.2, telephone M = 1.3, video M = 1.4). Likewise, the "therapeutic relationship" achieved high ratings in terms of establishment of a therapeutic relationship in all three subgroups (office M = 5.7, telephone M = 5.0, video M = 5.0). The type of contact (office and video counseling) achieved a significant main effect on the therapeutic relationship for items such as "I believe that counseling is helping me" (F(2,97) = 4.80, p = 0.01) and "I feel that I can rely on the counselor/therapist" (F(2,97) = 3.29, p = 0.04). The "hurdles" were rated as minor and tolerable (office M = 1.3, telephone M = 1.3, video M = 1.4). Predictor analyses showed that there was no effect of age and gender on the acceptance of digital counseling formats in the present sample. DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSION:

On the basis of this survey, it can be concluded that digital counseling formats were perceived by patients as a promising addition to the classic face-to-face setting. In addition, it can be stated that the digital formats (telephone and video) were not generally preferred to face-to-face counseling, but that the innovative telecounseling was accepted and perceived with great satisfaction and acceptance. Accordingly, the additional use of digital counseling formats could be an opportunity to enrich and expand the existing presence structures also after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: COVID-19 / Neoplasms Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Curr Oncol Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Curroncol28050323

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: COVID-19 / Neoplasms Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Curr Oncol Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Curroncol28050323